Trace-fastener.



J. W. CABLE.

TRACE FASTENBR. APPLICATION FILED 11110.3, 1910.

992,405. v Patented May 16, 1911.

MGM/111a? an: NORRIS PETEIS cn WASHINGTON, n c.-

JOHN W. CABLE, OF SOUTH CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

TRACE-FASTENER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 16, 1911.

Application filed December 3, 1910. Serial No. 595,498.

To all whom "it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN W. CABLE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of South Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Trace-Fasteners, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in trace fasteners and has for its object the provision of a fastener which may be readily applied to any trace for the purpose of securing the same to the end of a whiftletree.

My invention consists in the novel construction and arrangements of parts as will be hereinafter fully described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

My invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, and in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation showing my improved fastener applied to a trace, Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof, Fig. 3 is a top plan view showing the end of a whiftletree and Fig. 1 is a side elevation showing the fastener, the parts thereof being in open position.

The preferred form of my invention as illustrated in the accompanying drawings comprises a substantially rectangular sheet metal body 1 having an elongated slot or opening 2 therein. One edge of the body 1 is provided with lips 3 which are adapted to engage the lower edge of a trace 1, the body 1 being positioned on said trace so that the slot 2 thereof will register with the usual slot of the trace. In order to secure the other edge of the body 1 to the trace at a member 5 is provided and hinged to said body as at the point 6, lips 7 and 8 being provided in said member for engaging respectively an edge of the trace 4 and the top edge of the body 1. By this construction the body 1 is detachably secured to the trace 4:, it being obvious that the same may be readily secured in position or detached from the trace easily and in an expeditious manner. The object of the lip 8 which engages over an edge of the body 1 is to assure that the member 5 shall be in close con tact with the body 1 when said member is in closed position. The lips 3 and 7 are preferably soft and pliable so that they may be readily changed in form to suit the thick ness of the trace at which they are adapted 'to grip securely. An outwardly and rearwardly extending lip 9 is provided on the member 5 for a purpose to be described hereinafter.

The whilfletree 10 having a perforation 11 adjacent one end thereof is adapted to proj ect through the slot 2 so that said perforation will be substantially in registration with the member 5. In order to hold the trace 1 in this position on the whiflletree 10 a member 12 is hinged to the rear end of the body 1 by means of a rivet 13, said member being adaptedto swing in a vertical plane as illustrated in the several views. Before the whiffletree 10 is passed through the slot 2 the member 12 is positioned as shown in Fig. 1, and after said whiflletree is properly positioned in said slot the member 12 is moved to the dotted line position. When in the latter position a lip 14 provided on the member 12 engages over the top edge of the trace 4 and serves as a stop for limiting the downward movement of said member. The lip 14 also serves to guide the member 12 into close engagement with the member 5. Lip 15 provided on the member 12 engages over the top edges of the body 1 and member 5 and serves to hold these parts in close con tact with each other when the member 12 is in the dotted line or closed position. An operating handle or flange 16 is provided at. one extremity of the member 12 as clearly illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2. When in the closed position the end of the member 12 is positioned between the lip 9 and the body 1, said lip serving to prevent the end of the member 12 from being bent outwardly from the body 1 and from being seriously injured by contact with any object.

From the foregoing description it is apparent that when the hinged members of the fastener are in closed position that they are held in such position by gravity, it being necessary to elevate either the member 12 or the member 5 before they can be disconnected from the parts which they engage.

In operation, when it is desired to disconnect the trace 4 from the whittletree 10, the

member 12 is simply elevated by the operator grasping the handle 16. This movement disengages the stud 17 which projects from one edge of the member 12, from the perforation 11 provided in the whiffietree 10. The trace 4 is now readily disengaged from the whiftletree 10 by slipping the same laterally. The connection of the trace 4: with the whiffletree 10 is effected by positioning the trace 4 on the whiifletree 10, as aforesaid, and then depressing the member 12 so that the stud 17 thereof will enter and pass through the perforation 11.

A trace fastener of the construction set forth is simple of construction and forms a reliable fastening which may be readily and expeditiously operated.

l/Vhile I have shown what I deem to be the preferred construction for carrying my invention into effect, I do not wish to be limited thereto as there might be various changes made in the details of construction and arrangements of parts described, without departing from the spirit of the invention; hence I desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a trace fastener, a trace having a slot therein for the reception of a whitiietree end, a substantially rectangular sheet metal body having a slot for registration with said trace slot, a plurality of lips provided on said body for engagement with one edge of said trace, a member hinged to said body having a lip for engaging the opposite edge of said trace, and a second member hinged to said body having a projection adapted to enter a perforation in a whitl'letree end, substan tially as described.

2. In a trace fastener, the combination of a trace having a slot for the reception of a whiitletree end, a substantially rectangular sheet metal body having a slot therein for registration with said trace slot, a plurality of lips provided on the lower edge of said body for engagement with the lower edge of said trace, a member hinged to said body having a lip for engaging the top edge of said trace for locking said body in position on said trace, a second member hinged to said body and having a lip for engaging over the top edge of said trace, and having also a projection adapted to engage a perforation in a whiiiietree end, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

J OHN W. CABLE.

Witnesses ARTHUR OLsoN, JOSHUA R. H. Po'r'rs.

Copies of this patent maybe obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

